WAR ON DRUGS

Is the War on Drugs Effective?

Abstract

The drug abuse and drug trafficking has been a major issue for the past decade in the world. In this paper, the ongoing American war on drugs is discussed. The debate whether the war on drugs is effective, has been explained in detail. The debate favoring the war and the debate against the war is discussed in this paper.

Table of Contents

Abstractii

Introduction1

Policy Analysis2

Policy Question3

Approaches5

The Debate Favoring the Drug War6

The Debate against the Drug War8

Recommendations/Conclusions10

Reference13

Is the War on Drugs Effective?

Introduction

The War on Drugs is an initiative led by the government of the United States focused on the pursuit of production, trade and consumption of psychoactive substances, which are attributed towards prohibition of drugs. This war had its both pros and cons as it provided myriad benefits and some drawbacks too. It played an exemplary role in combating against the use, production, supply and sell of such drugs. Its proponents argue that drugs cause serious harm to physical and mental health and create networks of crime and corruption. The critics say that is used to defend geopolitical interests, interference in the internal affairs of certain nations, breaking into the private lives of citizens, and the problems related to drug trafficking and consumption forms most part of the prohibition. The term was coined in 1972 by Richard Nixon, presumably based on "War on Poverty” in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson.

A drug is a substance that alters the normal functioning of the organism once it comes into contact with him. Some examples of drugs include alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, inhalants, steroids, marijuana or cocaine. Different drugs have different effects on the body. Some drugs can cause hallucinations (e.g. seeing or hearing things that are not actually happening); others can accelerate or reduce the activity of the organism. Equivalent terms are now in many countries of the drug prohibition used. The effect of such measures is controversial because the target definition is unclear and successes are difficult to prove. Critics argue that the use of the term measures against the use of certain drugs as a belligerent act and is justified.

Policy Analysis

As a much-debated culture wars issue, the U.S. war on drugs has engendered two opposing positions: generally speaking, conservatives emphasize law enforcement, while liberals emphasize rehabilitation treatment and education. For the first group, the drug problem is a criminal issue that necessitates a reduction in the supply of all illegal substances—tracking down and arresting distributors; seizing their supplies; and carrying out military interdiction wherever necessary, including foreign countries, to eliminate the source of drugs. For the second group, the drug problem is primarily a public health issue that is best solved by curbing the demand for drugs (Inciardi, 2008). Beyond issues of emphasis and ideology, the two sides have also debated vigorously over the very success or failure of the war on drugs: while one side points to the decline in drug abuse by young people, the other notes that Americans continued to lead the world ...